Unsure what to do

[emma88]

Hey everyone hope you are all okay. I had my routine bloods on the first week of lockdown i asked my nurse at the GP if she knew if i was high risk or not she said she would try and find out for me she came back out and said i had been marked up as low risk i had my bloods again around a week ago we was talking about her as she had been flagged as low risk as well even tho she has problems with her lungs i think it is she was saying they changed her to high risk not long after we then got onto my RA i was saying its been a confusing time so she checked my records again i think she must have forgot she checked the first time round, she said i had been flagged as high risk they changed me but i had no clue until i asked again on my second appointment 4 weeks later, are you supposed to be taking extra measures for high risk or just the usual 2m distance ive not been silly anyways even the 4 weeks when i thought i was low risk i didnt go out much. I dont know whether to call the hospital to see if i am high risk or if the doctors have messed it up like i say i havnt been silly anyways i think im just more concerned for when my work re opens as we are a very small and narrow store so i dont know if its just 2m distance and usual hand washing i would need to do or if i should be taking extra measures I understand non of us are doctors here im just looking for advice i guess

[helixhelix]

Have you looked at the various charts to assess your own risk?

If you are working you probably do need to find out as if you need to stay home from work you will need to make sure you push to get a letter so you can be paid. So first thing is to work out for yourself which category you think you are in.

[emma88 in reply to helixhelix]

Ive looked at all the different charts and have fallen into every catagory low, moderate high and shielding which made me more confused haha. We have been shut since march so i have been off the past month im just not sure if you have to take extra measures for high risk and if so what measures Just so i know incase we get the go ahead to be one of the first places to re open in the next few weeks if anything does open that is. My GP didnt contact me when they changed me to high risk to say but then im not sure if they are supposed to

[charisma]

Try this, Emma. It takes you through it all very clearly. But if at risk of severe disease, if you catch COVID-19, you should be shielding Ie not leaving your home for anything except blood tests and health appointments.

youtu.be/uNGPfntHgtI(Not working as expected?)

[emma88 in reply to charisma]

Hi, thats the chart that put me in the shielding section because i have had extra treatment for a flare in the last 3 months but on others ive done from different hospitals ive been moderate and high risk. I may try calling them tomorrow and see if they can help i hate to bother them but i seem to be somehow falling in every section haha.

[charisma in reply to emma88]

That is the most reliable chart.

I am shielding due to being on both biologic drug infusions and MTX plus recent flares and on Pred. Best to go by guidance even if no letter yet. Take care and stay safe.

[GinnyE in reply to emma88]

I found this chart some time ago and it put me in strict social distancing (take 20 mgs Methotrexate and had had a flare within the last three months for which they'd increased my dose). However the letter I got from my Sheffield RA department didn't list a recent flare as a factor. So... I decided for myself to follow the Leeds advice and not take chances.BUT I'm retired and don't need to prove anything to an employer which makes all these mixed messages more difficult for people. Hope you get something in writing if necessary. x

[emma88 in reply to GinnyE]

I think thats why i may call them i hate to bother them but if work re opens soon whilst the virus is still around id rather be making sure im taking the extra measures if i need to rather than just going in and sticking to the usual measures. That leeds chart puts me at shielding but my GP has me at high risk

[linmar in reply to emma88]

Hi, I was told at work on the 24 th March by the manager of the building that as I was on immunosuppresants for R/A she didn't think I should be at work. My supervisor thought I was okay as I was wearing gloves to clean. I wasn't too worried at the time but promised to phone my rhuemy to check if I was considered high risk. She said yes I was on two immunosuppressants, methotrexate and Amgevita injections(adalimumab). She said she would send me a letter. I finished up getting one from her one from gp and one from government all within two weeks. I think the rhumatologist phonecall set it all in motion. Sheilding is the same as high risk. As you wouldn't catch it easier but would suffer badly if you caught it and I was told to stop using injections and stop taking methotrexate if I got symptoms to allow my immune system to fight. High risk,/Sheilding is stay in your home, you can go in the garden. No shopping working or exercising outside of your property. 12 weeks from 25th March so far for me. Once you get the government letter, some supermarkets you may have used online get intouch to open up extra shopping delivery slots free of charge. So don't go to work until you get intouch with your gp (I can go on gp website and sent message )they will send message back. Don't worry about bothering them. You are entitled to find out and they won't mind. Apologies for the extensive answer. X

[emma88 in reply to linmar]

I rung the advice line today and a nurse called me back straight away she had a chart and said i score two points which puts me at high risk so im just to do the usual 2m distance She said theres vulnerable, higher risk and high risk the vulnerable are ones who get a letter and high risk just social distance i said about work and i wanted to just be prepared that when it does happen that im prepared she asked if i could work out the back so im away from anyone i said i work in retail so it doesnt work like that we have to be on the shop floor serving i said im assuming they will put measures in place so we are not so close but i just wanted to be prepared as i work in a very small and tight shop filled with lots of gondalers that made it hard to get round before all this happened so the 2m thing is going to be tough if they dont put proper measures in place. She still said just to keep my distance and no other measures needed

[linmar in reply to emma88]

Hi, all these All these terminologies, high risk, higher risk, vulnerable, no wonder it's confusing. I hope your place of work has everything in place for re opening and when handling anything in the outside world keep remembering not to touch your face. As I'm shielding(a newish word to me) I must learn to keep up, when I get a parcel I remove packaging and put it in recycling them wash hands and anything I have touched, with as far as I know, contaminated hands. I don't want my dog being fussed either, how do I know what other people's hands are putting onto my dogs hair. Am I being paranoid?. I think I have trained myself not to touch my face. X

[emma88 in reply to linmar]

I said that to her i said theres so many charts and they all say you are different ive been high risk to low risk as well as shielding so its all very confusing. I dont think work will re open for a while but its just good to be prepared incase its sooner than i think we was one of the last places to close so i know they will want to get re opened asap. I think its more the fact as well im always being warned im prone to infection and what not so you think oh well then surely i need to take extra measures with this but apparently i dont haha so that confuses you more

[linmar in reply to emma88]

Maybe this chart system came in after I phoned rhumatologist. She said as I was on two immunosuppressants. I should stay in and off work. Gp said after looking at my record history and with government guidelines I would be at very high risk of severe illness as a result of covid19. This is all due to two immunosuppressants as in generally I stay pretty healthy. I'll follow the rules and have been. It will be strange going for a blood test tomorrow. I checked to see if I should go for it via email to go practice and he said yes go for the blood test and go straight back home. Think I will run home to my safe haven. X

[emma88 in reply to linmar]

Im on mxt and got put on baricitinib at the beginning of lockdown i was really bad for around 9 months so after doing a ultrasound they put me on the baricitinib, she said i just stick to normal social distancing which makes you think why have sections then why not just have vulnerable who cant leave the house for 12 weeks then have social distancing for everyone that doesnt fit into vulnerable it seems like the government site and hospitals have a totally different take on it as if you went by the government anyone who has to have a flu jab due to health reasons and are on immunosurpressants then you are vulnerable but the hospitals say its only if you are on certain ones. Even the fact the nurse i spoke to asked if i could work out the back to be away makes me think well should i be taking extra measures but then she ended it on just social distance like everyone else. A very confusing time this is haha x